Research evaluating benefits of Parent-Child Mother Goose
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Since the program’s beginnings, a number of academics from institutions across Canada and Australia have investigated the effectiveness of the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program, developing an extensive evidence base attesting to the power of song, rhyme and story.
Benefits of Mother Goose: Influence of a Community-Based Program on Parent-Child Attachment Relationships in Typical Families by Elaine Scharfe, Trent University Child Welfare Journal, 2011, vol. 90, No. 5. In this study of the effects of the Parent-Child Mother Goose program on parent-child attachment, parents participating in the program completed self-assessments of their parenting efficacy, satisfaction, and relationships with their children. Participants reported significantly more positive change in parenting efficacy and child attachment than did parents in a control group. “In this popular 10-week, community-based program, parents learned skills that continued to influence their relationship with their children six months after the conclusion of the project.” Read the study. A Preliminary Evaluation of the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program in relation to Children’s Language and Parenting Stress Gill Terrett, Roxanne White and Michèle Spreckley Journal of Early Childhood Research published online 12 October 2012 This study assessed changes in children’s language skills and parenting stress following participation in a Parent-Child Mother Goose program. Results revealed that the PCMGP children showed greater improvement in language skills, especially their expressive communication skills. The parents participating also reported a more positive impact on their perceptions of their child’s demandingness compared to the comparison playgroup parents. This study highlights the potential effectiveness of the PCMGP as an early intervention program in relation to aspects of both receptive and expressive language and parental stress. Read the study. What Does Research Tell Us? This summary is based on work done by Anjula Joshi, Ph.D. Student, UBC, 2006. It was compiled by Beth Hutchinson, Provincial Co-ordinator, Parent-Child Mother Goose Program®, BC Council for Families and Dana Brynelsen, Past President, Parent-Child Mother Goose Program® National Board and Provincial Advisor, Infant Development Programmes of BC. Read the research summary. Impact of Parent-Child Mother Goose: mothers’ perceptions and experiences of singing to their infants aged 6-28 months Deborah Weiss, University of Victoria, Master’s Thesis, 2006 This study explores mothers’ perceptions and experiences of singing to their infants and participating in Parent-Child Mother Goose; a community-based parent support program that supports the use of infant-directed singing as a means to enhance the mother-infant relationship. Mothers in the study completed self-administered questionnaires relating to singing to their infants and completed interviews with the researcher. The data revealed a number of interrelated themes including:
Read the study. Research on benefits of supported playgroups (not specifically Parent-Child Mother Goose) Supported playgroups for parents and children: The evidence for their benefits Commerford, J., & Robinson, E. (2016). CFCA Paper No. 40. Melbourne: Child Family Community Australia information exchange, Australian Institute of Family Studies. Supported playgroups are playgroups run by a paid facilitator that aim to support families with particular vulnerabilities or needs. Supported playgroups focus on supporting the development and wellbeing of both parents and children. Many also aim to help parents and children to transition to community (i.e., self-managed, unsupported) playgroups. This paper defines the types of supported playgroups and varying models of implementation in operation in Australia, and assesses the evaluation evidence for their benefits to parents and children. It considers supported playgroup as a soft entry point to other services, and looks to research and evaluation studies that identify important components of supported playgroups. Read the paper. |